Title

Author

Date of Award

2010

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Philosophy

Abstract

In contemporary philosophy, there exists a vigorous debate between those thinkers who advocate the need for a truth that exists outside of historical forces and those who hold that all understanding must be historical in its basis. My research is focused on deciphering this problem by providing a description of how understanding and interpretation occur. More specifically, I have proposed a project that explores how the philosophical writings of Friedrich Nietzsche can give some insight into this problem of understanding truth. I argue that Nietzsche develops a method of interpretation - a hermeneutics - that focuses on the manner in which expressions in words or actions are imbued with a meaning that can be understood by others. To help in proving this theory, I draw on the contemporary work of Paul Ricoeur, who sees Nietzsche as a kind of hermeneutic philosopher who attempts to find meaning's origin in previously hidden biological, instinctual, or economic forces. While this element is strong in Nietzsche's work, I attempt to draw from his writings a complementary approach that views meaning as the product of activities that aim toward a goal. I contend that both its origins and its goals must be considered if we are to give a coherent account of human interpretation and understanding and that Nietzsche provides this while remaining sensitive to concrete situations. Essentially, I am arguing that Nietzsche can help us mediate between dogmatic and relativist theories of understanding with his hermeneutic method and his account of the process of understanding.